William Moreton, Earl of Ossory

William Moreton, Earl of Ossory (1143-1189) was a Hiberno-Norman noble who ruled the Earldom of Ossory from 1172 to 1189. Moreton was one of the most powerful English nobles of his day, carving out a domain for his family through warfare with the patchwork of Celtic fiefdoms which made up most of Ireland. He would also play a major role in the royalist victory during the English Civil War of 1183 to 1186, and he was one of Ireland's most powerful nobles at the time of his death in 1189. Following his death, his lands were divided among his sons, who became bitter rivals as they fought to inherit their father's legacy.

Biography
William Moreton was born in Mortain, Normandy, England in 1143 to a family of Norman nobles. He became a knight in the service of the English crown, taking part in King Henry II of England's invasion of Ireland during the 1170s. In 1172, Moreton was rewarded for his services by being made Earl of Ossory in southern Ireland. He was a vassal of a vassal, but he decided to rise above his station by conquering new lands for England. Moreton waged several campaigns against the Celtic nations in Ireland, conquering county after county. Due to a lack of Norman nobles at his court, Moreton mostly kept the existing Irish elite in their positions, allowing for Irish mayors, barons, and bishops to continue managing their lands. Moreton's activities made him a rising star at the English court, as he almost single-handedly carried out the rest of Ireland's conquest from the 1170s to the 1180s.

Moreton, a passionate military leader, found his time to shine when, in 1183, several English, Irish, and French nobles revolted against the rule of King Henry II. Initially, Moreton expressed an interest in joining in the uprising, as he detested the English crown and sought independence for his domains; this hatred of the central royal authority in London would be a hallmark of the House of Moreton's history. However, the rebellion had already begun to threaten Moreton's lands, so he instead hired mercenary armies and personally commanded one of their flanks as they crushed the uprisings of the rebellious Irish nobles. After pacifying his home island, Moreton proceeded to cross into Wales and crush the Welsh opposition to the English, and he then marched his army down the coast of South West England and proceeded to defeat the rebels several more times. After several decisive victories, Moreton delivered King Henry with victory against the rebellion, and King Henry imprisoned almost all of the rebellious nobles and dispossesed many of them.

Despite his valiant service, Moreton was not rewarded with new lands. He continued to detest royal authority, and he even plotted against other English nobles in other parts of Ireland. Moreton's ambitions to become High King of Ireland were cut short when he suddenly died in 1189, and his lands were divided among his sons, who would go on to become rivals and tear the family apart.